Outcry as agents, technical glitches hinder SIM-NIN linkage

In December 2020, the Nigerian government introduced the Subscriber Identity Module-National Identification Numbers linkage policy, mandating all telephone users in Nigeria to link their SIM cards with their NINs.

Two key Federal Government agencies are spearheading the process: the Nigerian Communications Commission, the telecom industry regulator, and the National Identity Management Commission, the identity management agency.

Three years later, the NCC directed all telecommunications operators in Nigeria to implement full network barring on all phone lines for which subscribers had not submitted their NINs by February 28, 2024.

The disconnection process was rolled out in phases. After the February 28 deadline, the telcos barred about 40 million telephone lines.

The second phase of disconnection occurred after the March 29th deadline, and the final phase is scheduled for July 31st, 2024

NIMC’s enrollment figures as of December 31, 2023, stood at over 104.16 million. A breakdown of the figure showed that 59.12 million male and 45.04 million female Nigerians have NINs.

About 530,345 Nigerians in the Diaspora have gotten NINs.

Amid the push for SIMs-NIN linkage, Nigerians have been battling with long queues, overwhelmed telecom agents, and technical glitches plaguing the process.

A professional welder, Ezinwa Odikemere, told The PUNCH that the problem was not how to link SIM to NIN, but getting the NIN itself was tiring.

According to Odikemere, NIN front desk officers always said the network was down.

“The only reason I have my NIN today is because I needed to do the needful when I got to the enrolment centre. Before I finally got it done, I was there three times. Each time I got there, I found a huge crowd. Because of my work, I couldn’t just wait for it.

“The last time I went there, I needed to confide in one of the front desk officers, who requested a few thousand naira to get it done. I needed to do that. So, what about those who do not have the financial muscle to do it?” he explained.

Recently, our correspondent observed a large crowd in the Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos. The enrolment centre in Mushin had only one computer and two female front desk officers in a small office.

The PUNCH gathered that the process of NIN enrolment was slow. At the time of the visit, there were no reported issues of network downtime based on conversations with the officers.

It was also gathered that telecom agents who operate from under the umbrella or a booth often fail to capture all the information needed for verification and upload data to the National Identity Management Commission server.

In many cases, the operator’s consumer centre stands as the primary location for consumers to complete their registration fully, with the data provided there being verifiable.

The President of NATCOMS, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, told The PUNCH last week that telecom agents were bypassing crucial information during the registration process, resulting in incomplete registrations for subscribers.

“For example, during interactions with telecom representatives, some agents fail to collect all required information from subscribers. If a subscriber cannot provide certain details, agents often leave the registration incomplete. Consequently, these incomplete registrations are deemed unverifiable,” he said.

Further, Ogunbanjo noted that NIMC also shared responsibility for that process.

He said the challenges arise when telecom companies are unable to upload collected data due to network issues.

He said those network difficulties, beyond the control of subscribers, hinder the timely completion of the registration process.

“NIMC’s inadequate network infrastructure exacerbates the problem. While they intend to accept data uploads, technical issues prevent them from doing so effectively.

“We urge the NCC to address NIMC’s shortcomings, improve their services, and acknowledge that meeting the deadline will be challenging given the current issues,” the president added.

An X (formerly Twitter) user identified as Henry stated, “Because of the difference in biodata, my MTN line couldn’t be linked, and that was the reason I got my line barred. I don’t understand why your agent here would use a phone number and address from a different country for what is more like a social security number for Nigerian citizens.”

After the February 28 disconnection, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project issued a warning to take legal action against the NCC if it does not revoke the directive instructing network providers to block the phone lines of individuals who have not linked their SIM cards to their NINs.

SERAP said the NCC had failed to conduct an impact assessment of those extreme measures to avoid their arbitrary or excessive effects.

According to SERAP, these extreme measures go against the regulatory objectives of the Nigerian Communications Act and violate Nigerians’ fundamental human rights.

Source: PUNCH NEWS